Which goes to show that no man is an island, after all...

Rating: 8/10 (13 October 2007)

I'll see any movie with Steve Buscemi in it.
After twenty minutes, however, I was at the point of turning this one off: Buscemi still hadn't made his entrance; the setting, story and production were clinically confusing and seemed to be getting more so; and Ewan McGregor isn't an actor of much impact for me.
Fortunately, in the next two minutes, everything changed after McCord (Buscemi) talks with our hero, Lincoln Six Echo (McGregor) alerting the viewer  me  that all is not perfect in paradise... and the rest of the story unfolds, as it should. So, if you see this movie, be patient  it's meant to be confusing in those first twenty-two minutes.
This is a story set in the future, presenting a scenario that is indeed possible, given the advances in genetics that we read about even today. The writers have simply extrapolated about a series of 'what-ifs' and allowed their fertile imaginations run riot.
The result is an action packed  more than enough for most action freaks, I think  pulsating hunt for Lincoln Six and his friend, Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), as they set off to find out the secret of The Island. Along the way, there are action sequences that bear strong resemblance to thrillers such as Terminator, Aliens and others, as the two dodge and weave to stay alive. The special effects when they are on a truck carrying railway gear and being chased by the bad guys is particularly well done.
But, for me, the script is the part that shines, with some of the best repartee between characters I've heard for a long time  and for a very good reason, as you will see. Even in the midst of mayhem and death, there is always time for black humour...
In addition, it the overall theme of this story that stays with me: the question of personal identity and what it means to be me. This is a fundamental issue, as I'm sure you appreciate, and it's one that this story explores with well-constructed logic, robust science (to a point) and mounting horror. If you come away from this story with a shrug of your shoulders, then maybe you've missed crucial news reports, over the last ten years or so, which explore advances and future trends in genetics.
This is a clever story, well-produced and well-acted  and good entertainment to boot. And, it is worth the time to see.